The Story Of A Girl - Veronica
by LaceyLivesInLaLaLand
Summary: [ au, read notes at top of chapter, Michael III oc] Veronica has lived in Port Charles her entire life without any clue just how differently her life could have gone if certain events hadn't happened when she was born. She's had a long spanning crush on Michael Quartermaine. Recently, Michael and Veronica have crossed paths again, but will everything work out for the pair?
1. Chapter 1

**BEFORE I START THIS:**

 **Veronica is going to be the daughter of Claudia Zacarra and Gino Soleito. I hated the whole Johnny is Claudia's son shit, okay? It made no logical sense, so therefore, it did not happen in my story. Veronica is unaware because she was adopted by a family in New York after Claudia gave birth but BEFORE Claudia is sent away to Italy by Anthony, if that makes sense. Everybody uses Sam, and given the ties here, I thought that having Veronica be Claudia's daughter and stuff could make things really intense in future chapters.**

 **Johnny is Veronica's uncle and yes, he's figuring it out..**

 **Pairing is Michael III x OC.**

 **Also, trigger warning because Veronica is in a mildly abusive relationship with a guy named Ben that she's trying to leave... So yes, drama on that front too. I'm going to try NOT to be too graphic if confrontations happen between Veronica and Ben, but essentially, Michael gets to play hero, Veronica will later show her own strength and Johnny gets to be a protective uncle too.**

There was just something about her, it kept drawing him back to the dance studio and he'd stand there for minutes that seemed like hours watching her dance quietly. She had long brown hair, warm golden brown eyes and this softness to her voice.. And something about her was very familiar to Michael, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it if he had to try doing so. He just knew he'd seen her before, somewhere.

Normally, he managed to tear himself away from the sight of the brunette dancing in the dance studio up the hall from the gym, but today was different.. Today, the music stopped and she froze in mid twirl as their eyes locked on each other. A shy smile formed on her lips and she turned to face him completely, a hand dragging through sweat dampened hair that was escaping a waterfall braid and she walked over close to the door, gathering a neon pink and black gym bag as she opened a water bottle and took a sip from it.

"You're back." Veronica broke the silence as her eyes fixed on the muscular and handsome, well toned body of an older Michael Quartermaine. Her tongue slid over her lips slowly as she sat down her water bottle and nodded in the direction of the hallway. "I've seen you down there.. You box.."

"Yeah, I do it to get rid of stress."

"That's why I dance, Michael." Veronica answered, stretching a little as she wiped down her face and sat down the towel on top of her gym bag. "I remember you, don't look so shocked.. You were as big as James Dean when you got shuffled off to Pentonville.. All the girls were so into you.. At least the ones in mine and Kristina's year." she remarked, giving a soft laugh and a shake of her head at the stunned look on Michael's face as she called him by name.

She felt the need to explain, "We were in Bio together.. Lab partners?"

It hit Michael then and he smiled and nodded, raking his hand over the back of his head as he asked, "It was Veronica, right?"

"And finally, he remembers. If I were one of those egomaniac kind of girls, Michael, I'd be really hurt." Veronica gave a shrug as she smiled at him and then nodded. Michael asked her with a smile, "We also had to do that unit on dancing for our gym class.. And you and I had to do the jive or something?" Michael asked, smile growing a little because he remembered switching places with one of Kristina's guy friends to wind up being partnered with Veronica for the unit.

"It was swing dancing but you're pretty close." Veronica gave a laugh as she asked with a friendly smile, "What are you up to now?"

"I work at ELQ."

"Ahh.. So you're a suit now?" Veronica asked as she gathered her bags and looked at her watch and grumbled.. If she didn't hurry, Ben was going to start his shit with her, calling every ten seconds, accusing her of cheating.. Her stomach tensed at the thought of another fight with him tonight.

The phone in her hands rang and she slid it to ignore, hiding it -and hopefully any signs of nervousness or fear she felt currently, as best as she could, but Michael had always been a receptive person, so he picked up on the signs and asked quietly, "Everything okay? You looked scared just now.."

"it's nothing." Veronica lied, hoping he'd drop the matter. She was trying to work up the nerve to leave Ben. Every time she'd get it in her head to do it though, Ben would go back to the guy he'd been before he became this possessive and jealous and volatile monster he was turning into. He was really starting to scare her with all the mood swings he had lately.

Michael knew she was lying, but he also knew that pushing the issue wouldn't do anything but ruin the conversation they were finally having.. He'd been working up the nerve slowly to approaching her for the better part of a month now, and they were finally talking, he didn't want to ruin that. Instead, he asked quietly, "Want me to walk you out? It's getting later out and this place is in a bad area of town."

"I-I'd like that." Veronica knew she shouldn't have answered with a yes, she knew that if anyone Ben knew saw her walking out with Michael then Ben would find out and there would be hell raised about it and just thinking about it had her stomach twisting in knots already, but… She'd been wanting to approach him since she'd noticed him a few weeks earlier in the gym working out.

Fear of Ben and what might happen if she dared to try to reconnect with an old guy friend and he found out about it were the things that kept her from attempting conversation. But the situation she was in right now was her own fault.. She'd fallen in love with a bad guy, only to fall out of love with said guy when she realized just how bad and how scary he could be.. And now she was afraid to leave, afraid of what he'd do if he finally did snap like he'd been threatening.

They walked out of the dance studio together, stopping about three minutes later in front of her Nissan Altima. Michael stood there a second and then said quietly, "It was nice to see you again.."

"It was nice to see you again too, Michael. I missed our talks in Bio, honestly… After you left, I mean. You were always one of my few friends. I'm glad to see you're okay." Veronica admitted as she unlocked the door of her car and went to get in, rolling down the window as Michael leaned in and then said with a smile, "Yeah, it was nice to see you again.. Hey, do you want my number? I mean so if you want to talk as friends or something…"

She shouldn't have let him put his number into her phone, she knew how Ben was, but she did anyway. She put her number into Michael's phone and they switched phones back. "Maybe I'll see you around, Michael."

"Most likely. This is a small town." Michael waved as she drove off and he smiled to himself a little… Yeah, he still felt that pull towards her, the one that made him befriend her but keep her distant back then because of his rage episodes and his fear of hurting her during one.

Now he was just trying to get his head around Sabrina choosing Carlos over him and leaving town, how the one thing he'd been looking forward, having a kid of his own, having someone to love, settling down… All that was going up in smoke around him. And it was taking a lot to get his head around it.

But maybe things happen the way they did for a reason, he hoped to himself as he walked towards his own vehicle and got into it..


	2. Chapter 2

**BEFORE I START THIS:**

 **HUGE TW ( TRIGGER WARNING) Semi graphic description of an abusive situation. Mentions of blood, choking, and violence. If you are in a situation like this.. Please get away. I hope that this chapter doesn't offend anyone and I did my best to make it as realistic as possible.**

 **Also Johnny is figuring out that Veronica is his niece.. This could be interesting.. I'm gonna drag that out, I have plans for this story, hehe.**

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He'd been on the phone all morning with the people in charge of his father's estate. According to documents he found and a letter from Claudia in his father's personal effects, Claudia had a daughter out there somewhere. She'd be not much younger than him right now. Naturally, the claim was enough to raise the curiosity of Johnny Zacarra and so he was right now talking to Spinelli via Skype about looking into it.

"I can't tell ya much, Spin.. Just that my sister wanted her daughter found… I mean according to the letter she sent to my father when she was about 19.. She regretted putting her up for adoption, hell, according to some paperwork I got here, man.. My father did all he could to make sure she'd never lay eyes on her daughter." Johnny downed a sip of Scotch and jotted down the numbers Spinelli told him to call to start looking for this niece of his on his end of things. "Thanks, Spin.. You're a pretty decent guy."

After hanging up the phone, he flopped down onto the brown leather couch and looked through all the stuff in the box his father's estate holder had finally gotten to him. The pictures in the box pretty much proved it.. The old bastard knew exactly where to find his niece the whole time, but just to get even with Claudia for doing what she'd done with Gino at 17, he kept it to himself. There were letters from the girl's adoptive mother up until she was about 15 and then the letters stopped. He figured out why when he found the obituary article, yellowed and crumbled. The photos were in a red leatherbound album and for a split second, Johnny found himself wondering if maybe the old bastard hadn't toyed with reuniting daughter and mother at some point.

The letter at the end, written in his father's own scratchy hand proved otherwise. He'd put all this together just to hurt Claudia. Then she made the ultimate sacrifice, took the path that ultimately wound up killing her in the end, but not before it sent her down a nasty downward spiral… She married Sonny.

Johnny's anger flared and he punched the tabletop and sipped more of his Scotch. He'd done some shitty things but nothing this low.. He could see how badly Claudia was hurting when she lost her own child.. Knowing where her first born was the entire time and he never even mentioned it.. Johnny was beyond furious with his deceased father at the moment. If the man were still alive he'd have probably shot him where he stood.

Everything that happened to the older sister he loved more than pretty much anyone else in their family.. It was because of Anthony's discretions.

A lot of the way she became what she became had everything to do with their father and a lot of what Johnny was now was due to the man and it sickened him.

"Glad I didn't spring for a funeral for the bastard now. Or a spot in the family crypt. Bastard didn't deserve it." Johnny observed as he answered his ringing phone to find out that Spinelli was already at work and he'd already gotten a pretty good lead.. His niece was living right here in Port Charles..

"Give the Jackyll a day and he will have her name.. Is there anything you want to know?"

"I wanna know everything you can find. Take your time, Spin.. I'm just glad you're gonna help me do this.. It's the one thing I can do for my sister."

"The Jackyll understands."

;-; CONTINUED ;-;

She knew he was drunk again -and furious, as soon as the key hit the lock and she was snatched into the apartment clumsily. He started to rage at her and she felt her stomach churning…. But something else happened along with the fear and tension she felt.. She felt this rage building. Something in her snapped and when his hands were at her throat and he was holding her against the doorframe while shouting over and over as loudly as possible about how she was whoring herself out to the whole town he just knew it, her hands, in a desperate attempt to grip anything, to break his hold on her.. They wrapped around the liquor bottle sitting on the little table right next to the door. Her hand raised and the bottle met his forehead as hard as she could manage considering he was trying to choke her. Bringing up her knee, she kneed him between the legs and once he was down on his knees in agony, howling up at her about how he was going to get her back when he stood again, she grabbed the bottle again.

She had more of a swing this time and when the bottle met his head, it shattered, neck seperating from bottle, glass and liquor going everywhere as blood flowed from a gash and the man slumped forward, falling face first onto the hardwood floor of their living room.

Veronica sat the bottle down calmly and with a look of anger and disdain, she kicked at him with the tip of her sneaker, turning him over slightly. He groaned and she let out the breath she'd been holding. Jail wasn't somewhere she wanted to go.

"Shut the fuck up, Ben." she snarled as she leaned down, attempting to pull the larger man over to the couch so she could get the bleeding stopped. "Pathetic little bitch." he laughed, "Look at you, stickin round, helpin me. You damn well better help me, bitch.. Who takes care of your sorry ass?"

Her left fist connected with his nose and she stepped back, letting him fall onto their shitty coffee table and letting it fall apart beneath his weight. "Lay there then you piece of shit. Bleed out. I'm fucking done." the words, as they left her mouth, shocked her. She'd finally done it. She'd finally gotten brave enough to get away.

Stepping away, she called E911 and explained that her boyfriend was drunk and he'd fallen, busted his head open. She got this feeling that the operator didn't quite believe her, but at the time, she didn't honestly care.

She turned and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her, moving the dresser in front of it just to be safe and she started to throw everything into a suitcase, leaving the crap he'd bought her to 'buy her affection' after a night like tonight.

Not hearing any sounds of movement, she cleaned herself up and changed clothes, walking out into the living room where she sat down and tried to process what she was about to do, convince herself that if she didn't leave now she never would..

The EMT came and got him loaded up, he'd started to come around and stir by then thankfully and one of the cops, a detective named Dante Falconeri.. He saw the handprint on her throat and the gash in Ben's forehead and he walked over and asked, "Can I talk to you in the other room?"

"You can. I have nothing to hide, sir. But what I tell you… You might want to have the cuffs ready because I've never… Felt rage like that before." Veronica muttered calmly, her voice soft, tinged with shock as she spoke.

Dante shook his head and then lead her into the bedroom where she told him everything. As she finished, she started crying, she couldn't stop and Dante moved closer, took hold of her elbow and said calmly, "Tonight never happened… But you gotta promise me one thing, ma'am.."

"Yeah?"

"You leave tonight, and you come down to the station tomorrow morning, 6 am.. You talk to me or my partner Nathan or the girl working the desk Valerie.. File an order of protection against the guy.. And stay away. Next time he tries to hurt ya then one of us can handle him so you don't have to feel that way again." Dante told the girl, all the while thinking to himself that if it were Kristina or any one of the women he knew right now he'd want whoever answered the call tonight to have done the same for them.

Dante went over to the EMT and explained something and then Veronica watched as Officer Falconeri cuffed Ben's hands before the EMT helped him into the ambulance. "Get that prick stitched up and then I'll be around to pick him up." Dante called out to the other man who nodded and closed the door to the apartment behind him.

"Do you have anywhere you can go for the night?"

"My friend… Her name is Kristina Davis." Veronica muttered quietly as Dante gave a nod and admitted, "You came with her to my brother's trial.."

"I did."

"C'mon. I'll drive ya." Dante said as he picked up the suitcase she'd packed and walked out, locking up the door to the apartment behind him. Veronica stopped mid walk, gave him a wary look and asked quietly, "What made you do that?"

"I'd want one of my fellow officers to do it if Kristina was makin the call." Dante answered. Veronica nodded and followed him out to his patrol car, texting Michael as she got into the passenger seat.

She wasn't sure why exactly, but he was the first person she thought of after the shock of her losing it like she had and everything she'd done, the fact that she was finally doing it, finally leaving Ben, wore off.

10 minutes later, she was knocking on the door of the townhouse Kristina was renting down by the pier. Kristina opened the door and took one look at her friend and pulled her inside as she asked quietly, "Please tell me you're finally leaving this asshole."

"She is." Dante answered as he told Kristina, "If the guy gets out on bail tonight and he finds her.. Call me or Sonny or Michael and do not try to take him on yourselves... We clear?"

"Crystal clear.. Thanks for bringing her here, Dante.. I know how stubborn she is, I know she'd have most likely tried to drive herself." as Dante gave a thumbs up and closed the door. Kristina hugged her best friend and asked quietly, "You okay? You're ghost white right now."

"I scared myself earlier.. Honestly, Krissy, I didn't even fight your brother when he offered to drive me.. I'm not.. Not in the shape." Veronica admitted, laughing bitterly at herself as she shook her head. "It's pathetic that it took tonight…"

"No, it's not.. I went through it with Kiefer.. You were there for me then, remember? Now it's my turn.. You're staying here."

"Until I find a place." Veronica butted in. "As long as you need, Veronica." Kristina told her friend firmly as she added, "And tomorrow, we're going to talk to my mom about pressing charges.. With everything he's done to you…"

"Kristina, I'm just happy as hell I'm away from it and still breathing, okay? It got… It got scary there for a while."

The door to the townhouse was knocked on again and Kristina called out, "Yeah?"

"It's me, Kristina.. Michael." Michael said as he knocked again, his eyes scanning the text he'd just gotten from Veronica about how earlier, everything hadn't been fine, but now maybe it would be. The news relieved him and concerned him.. So he was coming to Kristina, because he knew that she and Veronica used to be friends.

Kristina opened the door and Michael saw Veronica sitting in the kitchen. Veronica waved and Kristina saw the way her brother was looking at Veronica and she smiled a little to herself.. Maybe they both needed each other, she made a mental note to herself to meddle a few weeks down the road.. Maybe if they rekindled their own friendship for now..

She just wanted her brother and her best friend to finally be happy; finally be together.

"Everything okay?"

"She's staying with me for a while.. She's had a rough night." Kristina explained quietly. Veronica spoke up from behind Kristina, "I left this guy earlier.." and Michael growled a little to himself, clenching his fists when he saw the marks on her throat. "Did he do that to you?"

"To be fair, he's on his way to the ER. I nailed him with a Southern Comfort bottle.." Veronica muttered, biting her lower lip, wincing at the pain. She must have busted it during the fight.

"How long has he been doing that?" Michael asked, a concerned look as his eyes fixed on her.

"Long enough.. But I'm getting away from him. Dante's going to help me."

"And so are we." Kristina added as Michael gave a nod and suppressed the urge to go find this Ben guy and kill him.

"You helped enough, K.. You're letting me stay here for a while." Veronica answered quietly, her eyes lingering on Michael but quickly darting away when she had the feeling he was about to look over and catch her looking.

He wasn't ever going to want some screw up like her.. Besides, latest gossip had him dating and about to become the father of Sabrina Santiago's baby.. Not that she kept up with gossip much..

They'd just be friends like they always had.

She'd be okay with it. Friends were good for her right now. She knew she needed to get herself together before pursuing anything.

"Why'd you and Sabrina break up, Michael? And why am I finding out about it from some stupid gossip column and not you personally?" Kristina asked her brother as Michael said quietly, "She found out the baby was Carlos.. Left town with him when they dropped the case against him.. She told me that she still loved him." Michael answered quietly, going to the fridge and getting out a diet soda.

"Sabrina was okay, just.. I think you can do better." Kristina told her brother as Michael shrugged it off and then they all worked on changing the conversation, only after they ordered a few pizzas. And the entire time, Veronica just felt like maybe… Maybe her life was about to finally get better.


	3. Chapter 3

**BEFORE I START THIS:**

 **HUGE TW ( TRIGGER WARNING) Semi graphic description of an abusive situation. Stalkerish behavior implied here on the part of Veronica's ex, Ben. If you are in a situation like this.. Please get away. I hope that this chapter doesn't offend anyone and I did my best to make it as realistic as possible.**

 **Okay, so to drag out Johnny ( and Veronica ) discovering who her mother is, decided that Spinelli is doing a total background check as well as other things just so Johnny knows what he's dealing with. And the how/why of Anthony getting away with what he did in keeping mother and daughter apart is somewhat explained here.**

 **Also, trying to make things go slowly with Veronica and Michael. For now, they're both staying with Kristina at a townhouse by the pier that Kristina is renting. I know this makes things totally AU, but.. *shrugs* gotta have moments for Michael and Veronica to bump into each other and have that glorious awkward sexual tension of two people who are obviously attracted to each other, now don't we?**

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW!**

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Johnny raised a brow as Spinelli explained what he'd found. "So this entire time, she's been right under everybody's damn nose? And my father knew? And paid these people money to ignore my sister's pleas to at least see her own child?" Johnny felt his stomach clenching and he swung, hitting the tabletop with enough force to make scotch splash over the rim of his drinking glass and land on the tabletop and the papers sitting in front of him currently.

"That's not the most disturbing part, Arrogant Mob Don."

"Really, Spin, you can call me John or Johnny." Johnny shook his head, he'd never get used to the way Spinelli's mind worked, but.. In a matter of days, he'd found out more than Johnny ever would have been able to on his own. Johnny took another long sip of the alcohol sitting in front of him and then said quietly, "Go ahead then.. What else?"

"When your niece expressed a desire to find her birth mother, they were paid to keep your niece from trying to find her.. If my records are accurate then.. Vixenella was residing in Port Charles again and living right here, under this roof, when your niece's queries were made. And she, well, the lawyer asking on her behalf, rather, was told by your father, Johnny… That Claudia wanted nothing to do with her."

"That son of a bitch." Johnny grumbled, thinking that just when he thought he couldn't hate his father more, he now found a reason to, a new level to the hatred he felt for the man. "So basically, if you do find her, she's going to think her mother wanted nothin to do with her."

"The Jackyll has already found out who she is.. Her name is Veronica Keaton. She is close friends with the daughter of Mr. Sir and currently, she is staying with her."

"Somethin tells me I'm not gonna like what you're about to tell me."

"There are concerns about the Vixenella's prodigeny… and her safety currently." Spinelli slid out the latest information he'd found on the lost daughter of Claudia Zaccara and Johnny took the papers, the photos and looked through them quietly before swearing for a few seconds straight. "So this prick, this Ben.. He's still breathin air?"

"He is."

"He's on borrowed time." Johnny grabbed for his phone, intending to call in at least two of his better 'guys' to go and find this Ben kid, bring him to the compound. Spinelli stopped him and said quietly, "If the Jackyll might make a suggestion?"

"Go for it, Spin.. Trust you one hell of a lot more than anybody else here." Johnny waited, listening as Spinelli explained that for the moment, let him keep investigating, to maybe attempt approaching her when he found out more and found a way to do so.. He pointed out that if Johnny went in guns blazing right now, given what the girl had been told, it could frighten her or make her angry, make her go back to the situation she'd only just gotten out of.

"You have a point.. And I'm curious about what her life was like, I'm probably gonna hate myself for saying dig around more, I want to know everything I'm dealing with before I approach her, but go ahead, Spinelli." Johnny replied after he'd thought it over for a few long and hard minutes.

Given that he knew his father kept her adoptive parents on the payroll now, he was sort of concerned about what Spinelli's continued investigation was going to turn up.

;-; CONTINUED ;-;

"They let him out… Someone actually bonded him out of PCPD.." Veronica's face was draining of all color as she walked into the parking lot of the elementary school she taught kindergarten at. Her throat was closing up, she could feel another panic attack and a wave of anxiety rushing over her.

She bit her lip as she turned, started back into the school building, every intention to stay there until Ben was gone.. Deep down she knew he'd stand out there, waiting.. That sooner or later, she'd have to get out of the school because they locked it down tighter than Fort Knox at night.

"Get a fucking grip, Veronica Dominica Keaton." she commanded herself mentally as she leaned against the double doors just inside the school building, watching that parking lot like a hawk. Ben hadn't budged, he stood there, leaned on that shitty muscle car of his, arms crossed, bottle of Jim Beam in his left hand.

He took a sip, glaring at the elementary school.

The phone she held in her hands buzzed. It was Ben's number. Veronica bit down on her lower lip, hands shaking, heart about to beat right out of her chest in complete fear. She took a few deep breaths and tried to get together some kind of game plan that didn't include her looking pathetic or having to face Ben again just a week after what he'd done the night he was trying to strangle her to death and she'd been forced to make a stand.

The phone buzzed again and this time when she looked, it was Michael's cell number. She stepped away from the door, back into her classroom and started lowering the blinds. Michael could tell something was wrong, her voice sounded like it had when he'd run into her at the gym that afternoon a week ago.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine.. Just.. Running late." Veronica answered, dropping the phone when she heard knocking on her classroom window. She sent a text to the principal, if Mrs. Morris was still in her office, she could call 911 and they'd have to arrest Ben again.

"Are you sure?" Michael asked as she picked the phone back up, breathless. He was already grabbing the keys to his convertible and he didn't even realize it until he'd done it. "You don't sound okay. Are you still at the school? I'm coming to you."

"Michael, no!" Veronica spoke abruptly, the knocking on the window got louder and Ben started to yell drunkenly, his words slightly muffled through the closed window.

The glass shattered just as Veronica got a text back from Mrs. Morris saying that she'd just called 911 and asked for Detective Falconeri. Michael was hearing all this and he felt the anger that he hadn't felt in a really, really long time as it came rushing to the surface, taking over. "Is Ben there?"

"Michael, just.. The principal is calling your brother.. I'll be okay.. I just have to stay out of his.." Veronica looked up just in time to see Ben trying to climb through the window he'd just busted with a brick.

"You better run bitch." Ben crooned, stumbling towards her, she could tell by the way he moved slowly, - kind of like a zombie from a shitty horror movie, that he'd probably been on a week and a half long drinking binge and if he got a hold of her, he was going to kill her.. Or hurt her badly enough she'd wish she was dead.

She shoved desks out between them, knocking him down and she broke for the door, bolting out of the classroom just as she heard sirens in the parking lot. Michael pulled to a stop beside his brother's car and Dante told him calmly, "Stay outta this, Mike."

"I just came in case she was shaken up. I want to get my hands on him believe me, but.. If I did it right now.." Michael admitted quietly as Dante and Nathan went into the building, coming out minutes later with a drunk and struggling Ben.

Veronica walked out behind them, shaken up, trying to get her heart down out of her throat. Michael walked up to her and put his arm around her carefully as he asked quietly, "He didn't.."

"Oh no, no.. I shoved desks between me and him and I got my ass out of there as fast as I could." Veronica answered in a shaky voice as Michael told her quietly, "You can lock up your car.. Come back to Kristina's with me."

"Michael, I'll be…" Veronica started to protest but Michael said quietly, "You're my friend, okay? I'm not going to just let you drive home when he's got you shaken up like this." as Veronica thought about fighting him but decided not to.

They were going to the same place anyway, he was staying at Kristina's right now with her and Kristina while he tried to look for his own apartment, he'd moved out of the Quartermaine mansion, he was trying to be his own person for once and not the person everyone else expected him to be..

"Thank you.. But you didn't have to drive here." Veronica muttered quietly, this feeling of having people to actually depend on being a foreign one for her.. She wasn't used to it, because the only absolutely certain thing she'd known in her whole life was that pretty much everyone left.. When they weren't using her, of course.. Her birth mother, her birth mother's entire family wanted nothing to do with her, her adoptive parents only adopted her as some sort of cash cow they could milk whenever they chose and wouldn't at least tell her how the hell her birth mother's family had so much money that they could afford the bribes the two had pulled over the years.. Ben only wanted her because she was a warm body and someone he could control when he chose.. The way Veronica saw things, nearly everyone had some kind of angle, something they stood to gain for their actions.

She felt it deep down that Michael wasn't and that he didn't, but she also felt like maybe he was doing this because she was best friends with his half sister or felt it was the decent thing to do..

But for now, given that she was scared to death and coming down from a rather intense anxiety attack from the whole episode, she wasn't going to question it or push it away because she also knew that he felt comfortable to her, safer somehow..

"I wasn't going to leave you here by yourself." Michael explained as he worked on getting himself calm again because for a few minutes there, when he'd heard the glass breaking in the window, he'd freaked out. The thought of something happening to her just sort of scared the living hell out of her. They'd been reconnecting as friends and deep down, Michael knew it now, the old feelings, the crush he'd had on her during their school years.. It was coming back to some degree but now wasn't the right time for either of them.

But he was determined to wait; to continue being her friend until the timing was better for them both.

He helped her into his convertible and they drove back to the townhouse that they'd been sharing with Kristina for the better part of a week now. The ride was quiet and Michael could tell she was still freaking out a little. He reached out, turning down the radio as he said quietly, "Do you want to stop and get pizza or something?"

"If you want to."

Michael gave a nod and pulled into the parking lot of the Pizza Shack as they went past, helping her out of the car, walking close by her into the little building as he asked, "Did Dante say anything about going down to the station?"

"Nathan took my statement while Dante was putting the cuffs on Ben. Said it'd make it easier and that I was shaken up enough already." Veronica answered quietly as she bit her lower lip, her eyes finding Michael's. He'd rested his hand across her lower back, she'd flinched a little, he'd moved it, she was mentally kicking herself.

All he was doing was trying to comfort her. Was she ever going to be okay again?


	4. Chapter 4

**BEFORE I START THIS:**

 **Okay, so this chapter isn't that long. It's a conversation between Michael and his mother, Carly. The next chapters will all be longer, I promise. I just got muse to write this and figured I'd make it a chapter too. I ended it where it was because there wasn't anymore I could have said or done in it. Plus, I'm trying to hold out for the whole romance thing to make it realistic and we all know Carly, she'll have half a thousand objections to every damn thing any woman one of 'her boys' brings home.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys like it. More Veronica & Michael next chapter, I swear! Love you guys for putting up with me!**

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW!**

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"She is in a dangerous position right now, Michael. That's all I'm saying." Carly insisted as her eyes fixed on her oldest child, a look of genuine concern in them. Michael sighed and took a sip of his soda as he answered quietly, "And I'm always in danger, Mom. Look, Veronica is my friend and I'm not going to stop being friends with her just because her life is scary right now.. Kristina needed me with Kiefer and I didn't abandon her just because things got a little scary then, did I?"

"That's different, Michael.. Kristina is your sister. This girl is just some girl you were friends with in school and you really weren't that close." Carly argued, determined to make her son see that this situation with Veronica and her ex was not a good one for him to be in the middle of, not at all. And as Michael looked at her, he thought about it.. Yes, his mother was right. But she was also wrong about things.. And he was just fed up with the way she butted in and forced his hand in some things and then ignored his warnings when she wanted to do something badly enough despite any danger she might face.

"We actually were, Mom."

"A crush you might have had on her does not count, son. You need to listen to me and you need to listen to me good.. She's in danger and you have already been through more than enough in your life. You're finally getting a chance to have a peaceful life.. Don't mess that up."

"Helping someone is not messing up my life, Mom. Especially not if they need the help but they're too stubborn to ask for the help." Michael said quietly, fixing a calm gaze on his mom as he told her, "All I'm doing is making sure Ben stays away. I'm just being there for her because right now, everything is scary to her."

"No, I know what this is.. This is someone needing you. It's a male thing."

"Right, mom. Okay look.. If you want to keep fighting with me about this, go ahead, but I'm telling you. Veronica and I are just friends." Michael told his mother for what had to be the ten thousandth time in an hour as he eyed her and then asked, "Why don't you like her?"

"It's not that I don't like her. I just think the mess she's in poses a threat to you. And you just got your own life together really well. Why does it matter if you two are just friends?" Carly inquired as she looked at her son, waiting on an answer. Michael shrugged and then stood as he said calmly, "My order is ready. I'll come by later and see Josslyn, Mom." and walked away, thinking about what his mother said.. How she was right about what she said but completely wrong and how she'd asked him a question he couldn't exactly give an answer to.

Because he hadn't quite figured out that answer himself yet.

He grabbed his food and paid for it, walking out to his car and his mother came out and said calmly, "You never answered my question in there, Michael."

"Because I don't know, okay? I don't know why it matters. I just wanted to know why you seem to hate every single person I care about." Michael spoke defensively, looking at his mother. It was true, but some of them he knew well his mother had good reason to hate.

"We'll talk some more when you come by to see Josslyn. Your brother is going to be there too.. Can you two at least try to get along?" Carly asked, a surprised look on her face as Michael spoke up and said with a smile, "I actually talked to him earlier. I think maybe in the case of Karlee you might be wrong.."

"We'll see.. She is Nina's daughter."

"Mom, sooner or later you're going to have to let us both grow up." Michael told his mother as he hugged her and then got into his car to leave. The drive home was filled with him trying to figure things out because his mother had asked a really good question before he left the diner.. But he wasn't sure if he was ready to admit to the answer that was sort of presenting itself to him deep down…


End file.
